Analyst In Distress
by zoebrenn
Summary: Intelligence Analyst Nell Jones finds her life in danger. Can the NCIS team keep her safe? Drama mixed with Friendship, Comfort and a side of Nallen  because its what I do
1. Chapter 1

**So here is my new story, Nell centric with Nallen on the side. Let me know what you think. Zoe :)**

It was another bright sunny Los Angeles day when Callen and Sam arrived at OSP for work, having made a pit stop at a café to get breakfast, something they did regularly on days they carpooled.

"I'm telling you G, she was interested." Sam smiled as they strode through the hall towards the bullpen, each carrying a large black bag on their shoulder and a plastic box containing breakfast in their hand.

"I don't disagree." Callen responded. "But I'm not."

"You're telling me you're not interested her? G, she was all over you." Sam glanced at his partner as they reached the coffee station.

"Not my type." Callen shook his head as he reached for a cup and filled it with what he hoped was freshly brewed coffee.

"You're insane." Sam laughed.

"Who's insane?" Deeks asked, poking his head around the pillar.

"Callen is, for turning down the chance at a date with a _truly_ beautiful waitress at Salvators." Sam explained.

"Not the blonde?" Deeks asked, his eyes widening. "With the big…" he lifted his hands to his chest.

"Yes the blonde." Sam nodded as he made his way to his desk and dropped his bag down to the floor. Callen followed and settled himself in his chair, flipping open the lid of his box to eat the waffles and scrambled eggs he had craved all morning.

"Callen, you _are_ insane. She is HOT!" Deeks whistled and dropped down into his chair, leaning back in it and clasping his hands behind his head.

"Who's hot?" Kensi asked as she came around into the bullpen and headed to her desk, the last of the last of the agents to arrive that morning.

"The woman throwing herself at G this morning." Sam told her.

"Ohhh." Kensi grinned at Callen.

"Not my type." Callen repeated himself, keeping his attention on the breakfast in front of him. Fortunately he was saved from further scrutiny by a sharp whistle from the top of the stairs. Everyone looked over to see Eric standing in his usual beach boy attire and clasping his tablet computer. Callen briefly wondered if he would ever grow up and wear real pants to work.

"New case, Hetty needs you all up here." He called down. Callen looked down sadly at his waffles and eggs, realising by the time he got a chance to eat them, they would be stone cold. With a heavy sigh, he closed the lid and tossed the breakfast into the trash can at the side of his desk, before following the others upstairs.

Callen entered the dimly lit ops room last. Kensi and Deeks had taken their usual positions around the main table. Sam was standing up front and Callen took his place next to him.

"No Nell this morning?" he asked, noting the perky brunette was nowhere to be seen.

"Ms Jones will be joining us shortly." Hetty replied. "If you please, Mr Beale." she signalled to Eric to start the briefing.

"One week ago, Michael Rodriguez was found murdered in his apartment in Washington DC. He worked as an Intelligence Officer for the Office of Naval Intelligence. The initial investigation revealed he had been stabbed several times before being shot in the head and it was believed to be a home invasion gone wrong." Eric brought up crime scene photos and flicked through them for the team to see. It was brutal, with blood splattered up the walls and pools of blood on and around the body.

"Three days ago, an Analyst by the name of Francine Baker, also from ONI based in DC was murdered in her home with the same MO. Her body was discovered last night." Eric brought up the new pictures which looked eerily similar to the last. "She was stabbed five times with a kill shot to the head."

"Okay, but if this happened in Washington, why are _we_ looking into this?" Callen asked, looking to Hetty for an explanation of why the office of special projects was taking a murder case from the other side of the country.

"Rodriguez and Baker worked on the same project eighteen months ago and Director Vance has requested we work this case because the third member of the project team, whom we believe is the next target, is one of our own here in LA." Hetty explained.

"So who's the third member of the team?" Kensi asked curiously.

"Um, that would be me."

The team all spun around to face the door of the ops room where Nell Jones was standing, her hands clasped nervously in front of her.

"I'm the target."

**Thanks for reading. I'd appreciate a review :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for all the encouraging reviews. This will be my first story with more of a case plot so it's a bit different for me and I appreciate your feedback. Enjoy. Zoe :)**

Nell watched as five pairs of eyes focused on her, each looking with confusion and concern. She took a few hesitant steps into the room, feeling uncomfortable with all the attention but knowing she couldn't avoid it.

"Shortly before Ms Jones joined us, she assisted Rodriguez and Baker on a project with Naval Intelligence in Washington. It was highly classified and focused on an emerging Venezuelan drug cartel." Hetty explained.

"I wasn't long out of college and provided administrative assistance to Michael and Francine. I had full access to everything concerning the project." Nell continued as she walked over to join Hetty, feeling that by standing the older woman's side she would be somehow protected from the interrogation she was sure was coming. She glanced around at everyone, noticing in particular the penetrating stare Callen threw her way, his eyes narrowed and his brow deeply furrowed.

"The project was shut down after four months." She carried on, choosing to ignore the strange looks being thrown her way by everyone but Hetty. "There was a leak and when the project starting running into trouble, Michael and Francine had me do some digging on the side. I discovered tentative links between Commander Shaun Stevens, who was overseeing the project, and a Venezuelan drug dealer in Washington, Hector Valdez, who had come up in the intelligence."

"What happened?" Sam asked.

"On the basis of what I discovered Stevens was investigated, but he posited plausible explanations for everything thrown at him and with no actual evidence the case against him was closed with no charges. But the investigation hurt his career, and just a month later he resigned and disappeared. Michael and Francine believed he left DC to continue whatever it was he was doing with the cartel." Nell sighed. "I came to work here and heard nothing more from Michael or Francine until I got a message last month telling me they were starting up the project again."

"You weren't really on vacation were you?" Callen asked, realising her recent 'vacation' coincided with the project being started up. Nell turned to face him, taking in his tense stance and clenched jaw. She didn't need any profiling skills to work out that Callen was pissed he had been left out the loop.

"No, I wasn't." she shook her head, watching as Callen moved to fold his arms across his chest. "I set up their original system and files and last month I went to Washington to help restart the project and provide assistance until their new analyst started." Nell paused. "Hetty, is Arthur alright?" she turned to Hetty with worried eyes.

"Mr Anderson was taken into protective custody as soon as the connection between Michael and Francine was discovered." Hetty told her. "He's safe."

"Forensics found a partial print at the Rodriguez crime scene, and a DNA sample at the Baker scene – both came back to Shaun Stevens." Eric interjected.

"So Stevens murdered Rodriguez and Baker because they started the project up again and he didn't want them finding out what was going on and putting a stop to his activities?" Callen asked Hetty.

"That is our best guess." Hetty sighed.

"And because Nell worked on the project too, she's a target." Sam nodded his head.

"I'm sure being the one that got him investigated and essentially ruined his life doesn't help." Nell added, surprised by the flash of anger she saw on Callen's face. Was it directed at _her_ or at the situation?

"A team in Washington is working the case there, however we must assume Former Commander Stevens is looking to finish what he started and knows where Ms Jones is. He is likely to be on his way or has already arrived in Los Angeles. Find him." Hetty instructed, before making her way out the ops room, leaving the team to process the situation and make a plan.

An awkward silence fell over the ops room as Hetty left. Everyone was reeling at how close to home this case was and no-one knew quite what to say or do. Eric was staring down at his keyboard, Deeks fidgeted in place, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he glanced over at Kensi who looked like she was flashing back to her own recent troubles and how hard it was to deal with. Sam had his head lowered, a sad look on his face and Callen, he was staring at Nell while she tried to avoid all eye contact. It was natural for agents to have their past come back and bite them in the ass but no-one figured that Nell, a young intelligence analyst who, compared to the others had very little experience in this world, would suffer from that side effect.

Nell was growing uncomfortable with everyone looking at her, and turned her attention to her shoes, wishing she could just slip into the background like she normally would at this point in a new case.

"What do we have Eric?" Callen asked suddenly, breaking the silence.

"Uh not much. Stevens was off the grid and I'm having a hard time getting anything on him. There are no credit cards, phone bills, nothing. His last known address is no good – the house was sold to a couple a few months after he left the Navy. It was a cash transaction and the money was never deposited in any of his known accounts. If he's using an alias, it's going to take time to find him."

"Keep working on it." Callen patted Eric on the shoulder. "We need to know if he's come to LA. Kensi, Deeks, make contact with his friends and family, see if they can shed any light his whereabouts. Sam, he must have had a contact in Naval Intelligence to find out about the project being restarted, start looking at navy personnel." Callen instructed.

"You got it G. Eric, we could use your help downstairs, with contact details." Sam nodded at Eric to leave, the younger man throwing him a confused look before he understood why Sam wanted him to leave. Sam knew that Callen, being the Senior Agent, would want to talk to Nell in private about the situation, so he made sure they had some space and ushered the rest of the team out.

As Nell turned away and picked up her tablet computer, she could feel the eyes of the Senior Agent in Charge on her. She was not used to being the centre of attention, let alone the sole focus of Agent Callen and it unnerved her. She wondered if he had any idea the power his eyes had over whoever they were aimed at. It felt like minutes had passed since the others left the room but Callen was yet to say a word, he was just standing there staring at her as she kept her back to him and pretended to work on the tablet computer. Nell was beginning to wonder if he was waiting for her to say something first.

"Are you okay Nell?" Callen finally spoke, his voice soft and concerned. There was a lengthy pause before she turned to face him and under the blue lighting, he saw tears welling up in her eyes.

Since being dragged out of bed by two NCIS agents in the early hours of the morning and whisked to the office only to be told her life was in danger and that two people she knew had been brutally murdered, Nell had struggled to keep her emotions under control. And now having faced the reality of it by bringing the team in, combined with the gentle way Callen just spoke to her, her emotions were beginning to bubble to the surface.

"I guess that depends on your definition of 'okay'." She told him, blinking back the tears that threatened to roll down her pale cheeks, not wanting to appear weak in front of Callen.

"We're going to find Stevens." He told her, his voice sounding strong and confident.

"Michael and Francine were veterans, they were aware of the dangers of the job and knew how to protect themselves, and he still got to them." Nell was surprised at how quiet her voice was. "That doesn't bode well for me." She dropped her gaze to the floor, shifting her weight between her feet.

"Nell, I'm not going to let _anything_ happen to you." Callen closed the distance between them and rested a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I've got your back. We've _all_ got your back."

"I know." The words she had just spoken should have sounded positive and conveyed trust in him and the team, but she knew Callen heard the doubt in her voice because he was staring at her, his eyes filled with concern.

"Nell, I _will not_ let Stevens hurt you." He assured her, his hand moving from her shoulder to hold her cheek, his fingers lightly touching her soft skin. "I promise." He searched her face for a sign that she believed him, trusted he wouldn't let her down. A wave of relief washed over him when her lips curled into a tiny smile.

"Okay." She replied, her voice finding volume and strength.

"Okay." Callen smiled in return and stepped back. "I'm going to go help Sam." He gestured to the door. "You good?" Nell nodded in response.

As she watched him leave, Nell tried to think positively. She knew how good the team were because in the short time she had been working with them she had seen them succeed at seemingly impossible challenges. But she had also read the report about Agent Dominic Vale and despite everything the team had done, he had still died. In the back of her mind, she couldn't shake the feeling that she might meet a similar fate.

**Thanks for reading. I hope you leave a review :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed my story. I'm glad you're all enjoying it so far. My Easter present to you all is this update. Hope you all had a happy Easter Weekend! Zoe :)**

Several hours had passed since the team learned of the danger to Nell's life. They took their jobs seriously at the best of times, but with one of their own in trouble, efforts were doubled. After providing Kensi and Deeks with names and numbers for Shaun Stevens' friends and family, Eric had set to work in the ops centre hunting down Shaun Stevens using even means available to him as well as looking for Hector Valdez, Stevens' suspected connection to the cartel. Kensi and Deeks had taken the information from Eric and were busy calling friends and family to find out if they had any idea where he was now or where he had been since his dismissal from the Navy. Sam was checking on old colleagues to see if any of them appeared to have connections to Stevens after he left the navy and Callen was reviewing the forensics reports from the DC murders. Disappointingly, no-one was getting anywhere.

"This is pointless." Deeks slammed the phone down. "Either they actually know nothing or they're protecting him." His sudden outburst startled everyone because Deeks was usually a source of positivity.

"I've got a possible connection in LA." Sam said as he hung up his phone. "A former colleague of Stevens from Naval Intelligence lives in Culver City. Deeks, why don't you and Kensi pay him a visit? Maybe bring back doughnuts?" Sam suggested, sensing the younger man was getting ants in his pants from sitting behind his desk all day and really needed to get out and do something.

"Better than sitting around here." Deeks muttered as he grabbed his jacket. There was nothing Deeks hated more than dead ends but with his friend and colleague in danger, he was feeling more frustrated than normal.

As Kensi and Deeks headed out the door, Callen closed the forensics reports on the murders he had been reading and rose from his chair, indicating to Sam with a nod of his head that he was going to see Nell. She had been sitting at a computer at the back of the bullpen for the last two hours in total silence. He had been keeping a close eye on her but had kept his distance , sensing she was already uncomfortable with all the attention and having him hovering over her wasn't going to do any good. But it had been a few hours and he needed to know if she had found anything and he also just wanted to make sure she was coping. Nell was a confident young woman but he had seen cracks in her armour that morning and he felt it his duty to ensure she got through this.

"Got anything?" Callen asked when he approached her. Nell jumped a little at the sudden interruption and turned her head to look at him.

"No. But it could be a while. He's had three days to get here and that's a lot of footage to run through facial recognition, not to mention we don't know he flew in. He could have arrived by train or driven here." She leaned forward and stared at the screen as thousands of faces from airport security cameras were being scanned by the software. Callen stepped over and stood just behind and to the side of her, one hand resting on the back of her chair, the other leaning on the desk.

"Kensi and Deeks went to talk to an old acquaintance." Callen told her. "Maybe they'll get lucky and find out where Stevens might go in LA."

"We don't even know that he's come to LA." Nell said as she leaned back in the chair and let out a heavy sigh. "Maybe he doesn't know where I am." Her voice carried just a hint of hope. Callen looked down at her and could tell this was all starting to take a toll on the young analyst. She looked pale and tired, and without realising what he was doing, he moved his hand from the chair and gently rubbed her back, just below the base of her neck.

"Everything is going to be okay Nell." He said quietly. If she weren't so caught up in her own thoughts, Nell might have thought more about what Callen was doing and why but instead, she closed her eyes, her body feeling momentarily relaxed by his gentle touch. But all too soon the thoughts about the severity of her situation returned and she tensed up.

"I think I need some air." She announced suddenly. Callen stilled his hand then lifted it away as Nell moved to get up. Watching her as she made her way to the exit, he could see how her shoulders were sagging and she lacked the usual bounce to her step. Callen knew they had to find Stevens, not just to save Nell's life but to put her out of the torture she was feeling, not knowing when or where he might show up. As Nell passed by Sam, Callen nodded to his partner who subtly stood up and followed Nell. While OSP was hidden away in a condemned building and the chances of Shaun Stevens finding Nell there were negligible, Callen wanted eyes on her at all times.

Nell stepped out of the office and into the bright afternoon sunshine. Shielding her eyes from the bright light, she walked slowly to a shady spot and leaned against the wall. Her head was spinning with all the feelings of loss, fear, anger and frustration, and she took a few deep breaths to steady herself. She knew she couldn't achieve anything if she let her emotions get the better of her.

"You don't need to hide behind the corner Sam." She stated after a minute. Turning, she watched as the older agent emerged and sauntered over to her, shaking his head that the young analyst spotted him. "I know he sent you to keep an eye on me." Her tone laced with mild annoyance.

"He's worried." Sam smiled. "He takes his responsibility for his team's safety to heart."

"I know." She nodded and leaned back against the wall, letting her head come to a rest on the stone. "I'm just not used to being in the middle of things." She sighed heavily.

"It happens to the best of us." Sam said as he leaned against the wall beside her.

"I hope you don't think that's supposed to make me feel better." She looked up at him, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"Nope. It's just a fact." Sam nodded. Nell watched him for a moment then turned her head back, looking straight ahead.

"You're going to find him…right?" she asked quietly. Sam paused a moment then lifted himself off the wall and squeezed her shoulder.

"You have my word." He told her. "I'll give you some space." He added, taking a few steps back towards the door. "Just don't wander away from here or Callen will have my ass." He laughed.

"I'll be a good girl and stay right here." She nodded. "And Sam…thanks." She flashed a smile that for the first time that day wasn't faked.

It had been a long time since Hetty Lange had seen her team look so defeated. After almost eleven hours of making calls, interviewing and research, they had come up with nothing to pinpoint where Shaun Stevens had been the last eighteen months, let alone where he was now. The man had become a ghost after leaving the Navy, almost giving Callen a run for his money. It was dark outside and the agents were all at their desks sitting in silence with their heads lowered.

"Mr Callen." Hetty approached the Senior Agent.

"Hetty." Callen sighed.

"I think it's time everyone got some rest." She told him as she looked around at the weary agents.

"I think you're right." Callen nodded. "Kensi, Deeks, why don't you take off."

"You sure?" Kensi asked.

"There's nothing more we can do tonight." He sighed. "Safe house keys?" he asked Hetty. Silently she handed him a set of keys and Callen glanced down at the address on the tags.

"Thanks Hetty. Sam, you wanna get the car?" he looked to his partner who nodded and made moves to gather his things. "Where's Nell?"

At that moment Eric jogged down the stairs.

"She's in ops." He told Callen. "I found Hector Valdez." He said with a little bit of pride that he had achieved something.

"Where is he?" Sam asked.

"Six feet under." Eric nodded. "Got shot down in Venezuela a year ago."

"So we can strike him off the list of people Stevens may be in contact with." Callen sighed. "Eric, why don't you take off too." Callen said as he rose to his feet. "I'll get Nell."

"Mr Callen." Hetty began as he started towards the stairs.

"You don't need to say it Hetty." Callen interrupted. "I won't let her out my sight."


	4. Chapter 4

**Reviews for this story have been overwhelmingly positive and to thank you all, I'm posting the next chapter. a day ahead of schedule (well, my schedule anyway) I hope you enjoy it ;) Zoe.**

Nell had never felt so small in all her life. She had always been petite and pretty much looked up to everyone, but sandwiched between Callen and Sam as they walked up to the safe house, doing their protective agent thing, she felt positively tiny. Sam waited with Nell at the front door while Callen swept through the small house, double checking each room was safe before giving Sam the all clear to come in.

"Nell, the bedroom is right through there." Callen pointed down the hall and with a nod, Nell headed down to get changed.

When Nell walked into the small bedroom she took a quick look around. For a safe house, the place was quite homely. Orange curtains framed the window and beautiful cream sheets with orange flowers adorned the bed. A small Tiffany style lamp sat on the bedside table and an orange shag rug was placed on the floor by the bed to cover the floorboards. Nell dropped her bag on the bed and exhaled heavily. When she was picked up at 4am by the two NCIS agents Hetty sent, she had only been given a few minutes to pack what she would need for a couple of days since she wouldn't be able to return to her apartment until the situation was resolved. As she sifted through what she had chosen Nell smiled a little. If she had realised she would be spending the night in a safe house with Agent Callen instead of a couple of assigned agents she knew was normal protocol, she would have chosen something other than bright pink flannel pyjamas with cupcakes all over them. She didn't allow herself to ponder what having the Senior Agent in Charge as her bodyguard for the night meant, she was just too tired and stressed.

With a little smile, she pulled out her pyjamas along with her shower bag and her laptop, quickly booting it up to continue a search she had been running in the ops centre before she left. Leaving it to run, she moved into the en suite bathroom which was equally nice, walls adorned with white tiles and aqua borders. It had been a long and stressful day and she needed a hot shower to try and relax.

Feeling safe with Callen and Sam both in the house, Nell stepped under the steaming jets of hot water. She tried to put the images of her old colleagues out of her mind but she couldn't forget the photographs of Michael and Francine, lying in pools of their own blood, their bodies mutilated. Their deaths would have been easier to handle if they had just been shot and gone quickly but Nell knew from the reports she had read that they had suffered and it was difficult not to get those brutal images out of her mind, especially when she thought that she was at risk of a similar fate. She knew at that moment she was one of those people who just didn't want to know when her time was up. As the hot water poured over her face and body, Nell felt her chest tighten and she braced a hand on the tiles as she choked back a sob. She knew she couldn't let herself fall apart now, there was too much at stake. There would be time when Stevens was caught to mourn the loss of her colleagues and take stock of the situation she had found herself in. For now she knew she had to suck it up and put on a brave face.

When Nell finally emerged from the shower and had changed into her pyjamas, she padded down the hall to the lounge with renewed energy, her laptop tucked under her arm. As she approached, she could hear Sam and Callen talking in hushed tones, most likely about her. Clearing her throat she announced her presence as she rounded the corner. They immediately stopped talking, confirming that she was once again the topic of conversation.

"Oh, hey Nell." Sam smiled at her warmly from where he stood with Callen in the middle of the room.

"Sam." She smiled as she made her way to the couch, dropping down into one corner and quickly opening up her laptop again.

"You need anything before I go?" Sam asked Callen.

"Nah, I think we're good." he glanced over at Nell then back to Sam. "You get home to your wife and kids." He patted his partner on the shoulder as he walked him over to the door.

"I'll pick you up at 9." Sam told him as he stepped out the door. "Night Nell!" he called back.

"Night Sam." She called back without looking up from her laptop.

Callen closed the door on Sam, pulled the chain over then secured the three locks before moving back through to the lounge. He stood for a moment watching Nell. She was deep in concentration, her fingers flying over the keyboard.

You hungry?" Callen asked. Nell shook her head in response as she focused on the screen before her. Callen eyed the young analyst carefully. Having been watching her all day he knew she hadn't eaten anything and she was looking decidedly pale. "You should eat something." He pressed.

"I'm not hungry." Nell affirmed. "But don't let me stop you. I'm sure Hetty has this placed well stocked." She finally glanced up but only for a moment.

"I could make some tea?" Callen offered, a little unsure of what to do.

"No thanks." Nell looked over at Callen as she responded and saw in him something that made her smile. He looked awkward, fidgety even. It reminded her of her brother in law when her sister was in the hospital having her baby and he desperately wanted to do something to help but couldn't. "On second thoughts, tea would be nice." She told him, realising Callen needed to feel like he was helping her.

"Good, okay." Callen moved towards the kitchen. She heard him pottering around, clinking cups and boiling the kettle. Turning her attention back to her computer, she resumed her work and barely noticed when he returned with a tray carrying a pot of tea and two cups.

"What are you working on?" Callen asked as he set the tray down on the coffee table.

"I'm going back through all the intelligence we gathered the first time." She explained. "The project had barely restarted when Stevens killed Michael and Francine so I figure whatever it is he doesn't want found was in the original material."

"And if you can find what that is, it might give us an insight into where he's been, who he's been with and where he might be now." Callen finished.

"Exactly." She grinned.

"You're amazing Nell." Callen chuckled as he poured the tea. Lifting her cup he turned to hand it to her to find she was staring at him with wide eyes. "What?" he asked.

"Nothing." She shook her head and accepted the cup. Callen wasn't usually one for throwing out compliments and it wasn't the first time she had noticed him paying more attention to her than usual. But with everything going on she didn't have the energy to analyse it so she accepted the cup, took a sit and returned her attention to her computer.

"Mind if I watch?" he picked up the remote and waggled it in the air.

"No, go ahead." She turned her attention back to her computer. She felt Callen shifting on the other end of the couch getting comfortable and when she glanced over after a minute or so, he was slouched down, his head resting on the back of the cushion, his feet propped up on the coffee table. It was probably the most relaxed she had seen him since that morning in the ops centre and it was reassuring – if Callen were relaxed then she knew there was nothing to worry about at that moment. She turned her attention back to her computer, determined to find what she was looking for.

Several hours later Callen had grown bored of the movie he had been watching and sat up. He looked over at Nell who was in the same position she had been in since Sam left. She was still reading from her laptop but he could see she was exhausted. Her eyes were half closed and every few seconds she would lift a hand and rub them.

"Hey." He reached over and tapped her knee to get her attention. "It's late. Maybe you should get some sleep."

"I haven't found it yet." She told him, her voiced laced with frustration.

"You will, but you're tired. Why don't you grab a few hours of sleep and you can take another look with fresh eyes." He suggested. He could see her mulling over the idea and a moment later she nodded her head.

"I guess you're right." She sighed heavily as she closed the laptop and uncurled her legs.

"Okay." Callen smiled. "I'll be right here if you need anything." He told her as she stood and started towards the bedroom.

"Callen." She turned just before she entered the hallway.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

It was pitch black in the bedroom, the moon shielded by cloud cover. A sudden loud clatter woke Nell from a fitful slumber and she sat bolt upright, her eyes searching the darkness for the source of the sound. Despite rationalising that with Callen in the house the noise was something explainable, she couldn't quite get the possibility of Stevens finding her out of her mind and her breathing began to increase. Hearing a second bang, Nell leapt out of the bed and crept over to the door, her heart pounding out of her chest and her breathing rapid and shallow.

Callen was lying on the couch, his eyes half open watching some old war movie on the TV when a loud clatter from the back of the house startled him. Up like a shot, he drew his gun and rushed through to the kitchen. Peering out the window, he saw two trash cans lying on their side in the yard. Pulling the door open, he pointed his gun out in front of him and searched the darkness. A scratching noise to his left drew his attention and spinning around he pointed his gun at the source of the noise. Two sets of bright eyes stared back at him and Callen relaxed.

"Damn raccoons." He sighed as he lowered the gun.

Torn between staying in her room and needing to know the source of the noise, Nell finally opened the door and crept down the hall towards the lounge. Peeking around the wall she found the dimly lit lounge empty.

"Callen?" she called out quietly. There was no answer for a moment then just as she was about to call out again, he emerged from the kitchen, tucking his gun into the back of his jeans.

"Nell." He looked surprised to see her. "Raccoons knocked over the trash cans," he explained, gesturing to the kitchen. "Did it wake you?"

"Oh, uh, yeah." Nell nodded as she moved into the lounge and wrapped her arms around her chest, feeling her whole body shaking from the rush of adrenalin.

"You okay?" Callen asked, his eyes narrowing in concern when he saw her trembling. It only took him a moment longer to realise she had probably thought Stevens had found her.

"I'm fine." She feigned a smile but knew he wasn't buying it when he started walking towards her.

"You're safe here Nell." Callen said in a low, quiet voice as he closed the distance between them.

"I know." She replied, feeling the tears building up in her eyes. "It was just raccoons."

"You're safe." Callen repeated as he reached out and held her arms, wanting to pull her into a hug and hold her tight so she knew she was safe, reassure her that he would look after her.

"Don't." she whispered as she placed her palms on his chest, pushing him away slightly. "I need to keep my head…and if you…" she trailed off, her gaze dropping to the floor. Callen realised that Nell was trying not to fall apart and she was worried that if he reinforced the danger she was in by comforting her, she'd let go and not be able to pull herself back. He understood but it left him feeling a little rejected.

"Okay Nell." He nodded and pulled his hands back, respecting her space. "Uh, why don't you go back to bed, you really should get some sleep."

"I'd rather stay through here, if you don't mind the company." She said quietly, not finding the thought of being alone in the bedroom very appealing.

"Sure." Callen nodded with a smile. He moved towards the couch and Nell followed. He was hearted to see her sit down right next to him instead of tucking herself at the other end of the couch like earlier. Even though she didn't want comforting, she clearly wanted to remain close.

"What were you watching?" she asked.

"I have no idea." Callen laughed. "Here." He handed her the remote and she began to flick through the channels.

"Kensi loves this show." Nell smiled weakly as she stopped on a re-run of America's Next Top Model. "Personally, I don't see the appeal."

"Me neither." He laughed.

"I thought all guys secretly loved that show. I mean you have twelve beautiful tall skinny women to ogle."

"Not all guys are into tall skinny women." Callen replied, glancing down at Nell.

"Yeah, right." Nell laughed. "Hey, I haven't seen this movie in a while."

"Looks like it's just started." Callen replied as he shifted position and crossed one leg over the other, resting his ankle on his knee. Nell leaned forward and placed the remote on the coffee table before drawing her legs up to her chest and settling back into the couch.

The movie had only been on fifteen minutes when Callen felt a weight against his arm. Looking down he saw Nell had fallen asleep, her body leaning on his arm and her head coming to a rest on his shoulder. Gently, he pulled his arm away and wrapped it around her shoulders, letting her head fall onto his chest. She wriggled in her sleep, her legs dropping to rest against his thigh and she moved a hand to settle on his chest near her head. Callen briefly wondered if she knew what she was doing but quickly dismissed it given how deeply she was sleeping. Nell may have resisted his comfort for her own reasons, but holding her now and knowing she was safe, Callen was the one taking comfort.

**Thanks for reading. I hope you leave a review. Zoe.**


	5. Chapter 5

**So I hadn't intended on posting this chapter until tomorrow but I'm feeling generous because a certain blue eyed agent (and we're not talking Marty Deeks) paid me a surprise visit in my dreams last night. Enjoy! Zoe.**

Nell awoke to the smell of coffee and eggs, and for just a moment she forgot where she was and why. As she blinked her eyes open, she realised she was curled up on a couch with a blanket draped over her body and then the events of the past 24 hours came flooding back; the murder of her former colleagues, the threat to her life, a stressful day hopelessly searching for a ghost, and being at the safe house with Callen instead of her own apartment. She remembered being awoken in the middle of the night with the fear that Stevens had found her and Callen wanting to comfort her but her pushing him away. Fully awake and aware of her situation, the sick feeling she had carried all day yesterday had returned and she wondered if pushing Callen away had been a mistake.

"Morning Nell." Callen greeted her warmly as he popped his head around the door to the kitchen when he heard her stirring. "You sleep okay?"

"I guess." She nodded. Throwing the blanket off her body, she got to her feet and tugged down her pyjama shirt which had ridden up. "What time is it?" she asked as she moved over to the kitchen doorway.

"About 8.30." Callen replied as he moved about the kitchen. Nell watched him with interest. He was preparing scrambled eggs, English muffins and coffee. "Sam will be here in half an hour, which gives you just enough time to get ready and eat breakfast."

"You should have woken me earlier." Nell told him.

"You needed your rest." He replied nonchalantly.

"Well, I suppose I should go take a shower then." Nell nodded and backed away from the door. She had never really thought of Callen as a domestic type. She had always figured his fridge was stocked with beer and old take-out containers.

When Nell returned fifteen minutes later she had changed into a blue sundress and cream short sleeved cardigan, paired with her usual thick tights and boots. Callen was pouring coffee into cups and piling eggs onto two plates alongside the now toasted muffins.

"Here, sit." He gestured to the stool by the breakfast bar and placed a plate and cup in front of her. Nell eyed the plate of food suspiciously as she took a sip of the coffee.

"Thanks, but I'm really not hungry." She told Callen as she pushed the plate away from her a little. It was no lie. Since yesterday morning she had had a sickening feeling of fear in her stomach and aside from not actually feeling like eating, she wasn't sure she would actually keep down anything she did eat.

"Nell, I know you don't feel like it but you didn't eat all day yesterday. You don't eat something." he looked at her, his face somewhat pleading and Nell found she couldn't say no.

Silently she picked up the fork, scooping some eggs onto it and popping it into her mouth. She forced herself to chew and swallow. Then with Callen watching her like a mother hen, she took another bite. "Happy?" she asked in a joking tone.

"Perfectly." Callen smiled and sat down next to her to eat his own breakfast. He had barely taken a bite before Nell spoke again.

"Callen." She put her fork down and turned to look at him. "Yesterday, in ops. Were you angry with me?" The question had been flitting in and out of her mind all day and night but more pressing matters had kept her from asking it until now.

"What?" Callen asked, almost choking on his eggs at his surprise by her sudden question.

"You looked angry, when I told you about the project and going to Washington." She dropped her gaze to her plate.

"Nell, I wasn't angry at you." Callen assured her. "I wasn't even angry, not really."

"That's not what your face was saying." Nell replied with a roll of her eyes.

"Okay, so maybe I was a little angry, but it was _not_ at you." He reaffirmed. "Hetty is our operations manager and I respect her, but sometimes she does things without telling me what's going on and when one of those thing involves one of my people…" he trailed off. "Look. I get why Hetty let you go to Washington, I just wish she'd told me about it."

"Okay." Nell nodded, relieved to know he definitely hadn't been angry at her. "Good."

"Nell, have you been worried about me being mad at you?" Callen probed, concerned that on top of everything she was going through, something he had done, albeit inadvertently, had added to her stress. But Nell didn't have an opportunity to respond because at that moment there was a sharp knock on the front door.

"Sam's here." She said as she took a bite of her muffin. Callen almost laughed at her ability to jump into and then right back out of quite a serious conversation.

When Callen, Sam and Nell arrived at OSP at 9.30, the place was in full swing. Kensi and Deeks had obviously come in early as they were already at their desks, on the phone and working on laptops at the same time. Eric was at another computer behind the bullpen, his eyes dancing across the screen as he searched through endless data for something…anything…to help.

"Morning." Kensi called between bites of her breakfast burrito.

"Hey Kensi." Nell replied, mustering a small smile for the junior agent. "I'm going to get back to work on that intelligence." She told Callen as she made her way to the stairs to go up to ops. He gave her a nod and walked through the bullpen to his desk.

"Mr Callen, a word." Hetty called to Callen just as he was about to take a seat. Shrugging off his jacket, he made his way to the operations manager and dropped down into the chair opposite her.

"She's fine Hetty." Callen pre-empted Hetty's question.

"Fine?"

"As fine as someone can be in this situation." Callen nodded.

"Mr Callen, Ms Jones may appear to be a confident, strong young woman. But she _is_ young and though she has seen many of you dealing with cases becoming personal, she has not been in such a situation herself. She is not one to show weakness…"

"I know Hetty." Callen interrupted, vividly recalling his failed attempt to comfort her the previous evening. "I'm watching over her."

"I know you are." Hetty nodded.

"So what's this about?" Callen asked.

"Difficult decisions may have to be made and I need to know you can make the right decision for the circumstances and not base it on personal feelings."

"Personal feelings." Callen repeated. He kept his face neutral but inside he was a little panicked, wondering if Hetty somehow had a super power that allowed her to see his inner thoughts and feelings about Nell because he was confident he had not given anything away in the way he had acted around her lately.

"Hetty." Callen leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, clasping his hands together. "I will do whatever is necessary to apprehend Stevens and ensure Nell's safety." He assured the older woman. She stared at him for a moment then seemingly satisfied she sat back in her chair.

"Very well." She nodded and Callen slowly rose to his feet. He had an idea of what Hetty meant by making difficult decisions and he just hoped it would not come to that.

Callen should have known better than to hope. By lunchtime the team were no further forward than they had been the night before. Callen gathered the team in the ops room to run through their options, though he was pretty sure he knew what they would have to do.

"So where are we?" Callen asked, frustration thick in his voice.

"Same place we were yesterday." Eric muttered. "No trace of Stevens." He said a little louder.

"Friends and family are a dead end. No-one has heard from him since he went off the radar." Kensi added.

"Colleagues in Naval Intelligence have drawn a blank too." Sam added.

"I'm still working on the intelligence but I haven't found anything useful yet." Nell sighed and saw Callen's shoulders sag a little. "Facial recognition hasn't picked him up on any footage we've run." She added.

"G." Sam turned to his partner. His look was all Callen needed to understand what he was about to suggest.

"No." Callen shook his head.

"What choice do we have?" Sam asked.

"No Sam." Callen said firmly.

"No what? What are we nixing?" Deeks asked, looking confused at the exchange between partners.

"Sam wants to draw Stevens out." Kensi began to explain.

"I'm not exposing Nell." Callen said with determination in his voice.

"But we're not having any luck finding him this way." Sam argued.

"I'm not going to paint a target on her back Sam." Callen snapped before recalling the conversation he had with Hetty. She knew this is what it would come down to and he had told her he could make the call. Maybe he had been wrong about being able to keep personal feelings out of things.

"Hey, will you stop talking about me like I'm not even here!" Nell suddenly shouted. Callen whipped his head around to look at her. She was standing with her arms folded across her chest, her face one of anger and defiance. "_I'm_ the one he's after and _I'm_ the one living in limbo until he shows himself. I think _I_ should have a say in this." She continued, her voice a lot louder than anyone had ever heard her before.

"Nell." Callen started.

"I get you're worried, but what choice do we have? I can't keep living with this hanging over my head." she pressed, staring him down. Callen planted his hands on his waist and lowered his head, realising she was right.

"Fine." He agreed and turned to the table, placing his hands on it. "Stevens hasn't had an opportunity to find you so we're going to create that to draw him out. Here's what we're going to do." He gathered the team around the main table and laid out the plan he had been keeping to himself, hoping they wouldn't have to use it.

A few hours later Nell was sitting nervously in the silver Mercedes with Callen at the wheel as he pulled into a spot in the parking garage at the Navy building in downtown LA. She had been sceptical when Callen had suggested this as the place to have her be seen but Callen had explained it was an environment they would have control over. Eric had worked some internet magic and under the assumption that Stevens would be using his skills to look for her, he had plastered Nell's name and references to the building in strategic places so Stevens would know where to find her.

"You good?" Callen asked, turning to Nell. She nodded and fidgeted with her cardigan, making sure the camera was in the right position.

"I'm good." She told him with a little more doubt in her voice than she would have liked. Her hands were trembling and she clasped them together tightly in her lap, hoping he hadn't noticed. She had pushed him into this and she didn't want him to know how much she was starting to regret it, given her current level of anxiety about being exposed to a killer.

"Eric has access to all the security cameras and we have our button cams. We'll spot him the moment he shows up." Callen continued, hoping he sounded reassuring.

"And then I just need to lead him back here to the parking garage." Nell confirmed her part of the operation.

"Where we'll take him down." Callen finished, turning to look at her. "I'll be with you the whole time, never more than twenty feet away. Kensi will be inside on the first floor and Sam and Deeks will be here waiting." He reached over and covered her hands with his, his thumb stroking over her skin gently. Nell glanced down at their hands then over at Callen. He was an expert at hiding his true emotions but as she looked into his eyes she could see he was worried, she just wasn't sure if it was for her or for the plan. She hitched in a breath as the seriousness of what she was about to do hit her full force.

"I know you're scared Nell." Callen told her, seeing how anxious she was. "But this will soon be over." Nell only nodded in response, before gently pulling her hand away and getting out of the car.

"Here we go." She said to herself as she slipped her earwig in. She turned back to Callen as she walked towards the door to the main building, needing some reassurance. He flashed a smile and nodded, silently telling her he knew she could do this.

Callen watched the petite analyst tentatively step away from the car. He could practically feel the stress and fear radiating off her and he just hoped she could hold it together long enough to lure Stevens into their trap. He saw her turn to him as she walked away and he smiled, nodding his head. She didn't smile back but he saw her shoulders straighten up a little, some of that familiar confidence coming back to her. He gave her a small head start, then exited the vehicle himself and started to follow her, hoping that everything would go to plan.

**Thanks for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

**My muse has been co-operating so I have another chapter for you. Thanks to everyone who takes time to review and to all those who have this story on alert. I really appreciate the support and enthusiasm you all show Zoe.**

Nell had been in the Navy building for almost two hours and her anxiety level had jumped up and down each time she heard Callen or Kensi in her ear, potentially spotting Stevens only to establish it wasn't him. She had done as instructed and kept herself visible by walking the halls and sitting in the small café in the foyer working on a laptop. Stevens hadn't yet shown himself and she was beginning to think this was all a big waste of time. She wanted to believe that the whole notion that he was after her was incorrect but at the back of her mind she knew he was out there. As she sipped the last of her coffee, her third since she arrived, Nell rose to her feet, packed her laptop away and picked up her bag to make another circuit. Moving out of the café and into the main foyer, she heard Callen in her ear again.

"Nell, listen to me carefully." He said. "Confirmed sighting of Stevens. I'm fifteen feet behind you on your left. Stevens is approaching from your right, twenty feet away." He explained. "It's time to head to the parking garage. This is it." Callen finished.

"Got it." She replied as she felt her heart begin to race again. She resisted the urge to look around, knowing it would look suspicious. Instead, she had to trust that Callen had her back and that as soon as she got Stevens where they wanted him, the team would take him down before he had a chance to hurt her.

As she walked through the foyer and took the stairs to the first floor where the exit to the parking garage was, she spotted Kensi leaning casually against the wall, cell phone in hand pretending to text. The slightly older agent threw her a sideways glance as she passed and Nell felt a little more reassured knowing that while Stevens was following her, both Callen and Kensi were there with her.

"He's taken the bait. Nell, take it slow, nice and calm." Callen instructed. Even from a distance Callen could see Nell's nerves and he couldn't risk Stevens picking up on it and getting spooked. "Sam, Deeks, be ready."

Nell took a deep breath as she followed the hallway to the parking garage stairs. She knew Stevens had killed Michael and Francine in their homes and while no-one could predict what he would try to do, there team had considered that Stevens had three options. Having located her, he would tail her home in his own vehicle, abduct her from the parking garage in either his or her vehicle, or kill her right there in parking garage. Not wanting to risk an operation that would involve Nell on the move, the team had planned to take him down as soon as they got him away from the public so no-one else could get hurt.

As she continued the path to her fate, Nell's heart began to race from adrenalin flooding her system and all her senses were heightened. She pushed open the stairwell door and started up the stairs towards the parking level where Sam and Deeks were waiting, forcing her feet to take one step at a time and not run. She heard the door close behind her then a moment later she heard it open again, knowing it was Stevens coming up behind her.

The parking garage felt terrifyingly empty even though Nell knew Sam and Deeks had their positions near the car she would be heading to. The echo of her heels clicking on the concrete was deafening and when she heard a second set of footsteps behind her, she gasped in a breath. Reaching into her bag, she continued the charade as she fumbled for her keys. Holding them in shaking hands she got closer to the car, trying to play her part. The footsteps behind her were getting closer, telling her he was moving faster.

She reached the car and unlocked it, hearing the double beep.

"Nell Jones." A sickening gravelly voice called her name and she spun around to see Stevens standing ten feet away. She couldn't move. She was like a deer caught in the headlights and she just stood and stared at the man she knew had killed her former colleagues and if given the chance would kill her too. As Stevens took a step towards and pulled a gun from his jacket, Nell stumbled back a step and bumped into the side of the car. All of a sudden there were shouts of 'Federal Agent, drop the gun' repeating from multiple voices. Nell glanced around and saw the team had Stevens surrounded. Four guns were pointed right at him and with no option, Stevens lowered the gun to the ground, his eyes never leaving Nell as she stared at him, a feeling of relief and satisfaction that their operation had been successful coursing through her.

"Down on the ground, hands behind your head." Sam yelled as the agents advanced. Stevens did as he was told and within a few seconds, Sam had him cuffed and was yanking him to his feet. Kensi and Deeks finally lowered their weapons and helped Sam get Stevens to the SUV. As Stevens was being manhandled into the car, Callen hurried over to Nell, noticing how calm and composed she seemed.

"It's over Nell." He said as he rested a hand on her shoulder. She turned to look at him and for the first time in two days he saw a genuine smile. She looked like the weight of the world had been lifted from her shoulders.

A little later, the team were gathered in the boatshed. Shaun Stevens was in the interrogation room, still cuffed and awaiting questioning. Nell sat at the table, a half empty cup of tea in front of her.

"Do you think I can go home now?" she asked, running a hand through her hair. Callen turned from his position in front of the monitor where he had been watching Stevens, and dropped into the seat next to her.

"I take it you don't want to stick around for the details." He said.

"I'd rather not." She shook her head. "I'd just like to go home and unwind. It's been a _long _two days." She sighed heavily.

"I'll have Deeks and Kensi drive you." Callen turned to call the junior agents over but Nell stopped him.

"No need. Hetty's lending me one of the cars." She replied as she planted her hands on the table and pushed herself to her feet. As much as she appreciated everything the team had done and how they, especially Callen, had watched over her and protected her, she really just needed to be on her own for a bit, to get her head around everything.

Callen followed Nell as she moved towards the door, reaching for her arm to stop her just before she exited.

"Nell, I'd be more comfortable if someone went with you." He said quietly as he dropped his hand from her arm.

"Why? Stevens is here." She asked, unsure about why Callen still had concerns. Callen knew she had a point and he sighed. Nell watched him for a moment then leaned up and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you for looking out for me." She said. "But it's over." She smiled and reached out, touching his arm lightly. "You can stop worrying about me." She added with a grin. Callen reluctantly let her leave, with only one thought running through his head. He knew he would never stop worrying about her.

After giving Stevens some time to stew and for them to formulate their plan for questioning, Callen and Sam now sat opposite him in the interrogation room, eyeing the man with distain. He had ruthlessly tortured and killed two people and gone after one of their own, and he now sat before them with a smug look on his face, like he could just get up and walk out of there.

"No questions boys?" Stevens asked.

"I have a question." Callen leaned forward. "Why?"

"Why? That's what you want to know." Stevens laughed.

"Something funny?" Sam asked, getting annoyed with the arrogance of the man.

"I just thought you might want to ask something else. I guess you're not as good as you think you are." Callen and Sam glanced at each other concerned. This was not how they thought this would go down.

"I'll bite." Callen sat back in his chair.

"You think this is all over." Stevens said as he leaned forward, resting his cuffed hands on the table. "It's far from over."

At that moment Callen's cell buzzed and glancing at the text he saw it was Eric urgently needing to speak to them.

"Sam, with me." Callen rose to his feet and with Sam behind him they made their way to the main room.

"What's up Eric." Callen asked when Eric's face appeared on the screen.

"We've got a problem, a big one." Eric stated. "Both Rodriguez and Baker were killed by two weapons, a knife and a gun, right."

"Right." Callen confirmed.

"You didn't find a knife on Stevens' and the techs didn't find one in his car either. It seems strange that he would change his MO for Nell. And that's not everything. I've been doing some more digging." Callen heard the stress in Eric's voice. "Hector Valdez, he's not dead."

"What do you mean Eric?" Sam asked, confused.

"I hacked into… you don't need to know the details…What's important is I found an autopsy photograph of the man identified as Valdez and it's not the real Valdez. And I checked into his record. All of his arrests for assault involved the use of a knife, it's his thing."

The team only took a few seconds to put two and two together. Stevens had been working _with_ Valdez and the pair of them murdered Rodriguez and Baker – Valdez inflicting the knife wounds while Stevens finished them off with the gun they had found on him. That was why Stevens was so cocky. He knew Valdez was going to finish things with Nell.

Callen stormed away from the screen and straight into the interrogation room, slamming the door shut behind him. He strode up to Stevens and kicked the chair, unbalancing the man.

"Where's Valdez?" he demanded, his jaw tight and his eyes flashing with anger.

"Ah, so you figured it out." Stevens nodded smugly. Infuriated, Callen grabbed Stevens by the neck and yanked him to his feet, slamming him into the wall with a force that seemed to shake the room.

"Where is he?" Callen spat.

"Right now? Following your girlfriend home I imagine." Stevens laughed sinisterly.

Outside, Kensi was nervous. She had seen Callen get physical with suspects before but this was new. Watching him on the monitors, the anger he displayed was primal and uncontrolled. Not even when Dom had gone missing was Callen so volatile.

"Shouldn't we…" she glanced between Sam and Deeks.

"Call Nell, tell her to get back here now." Sam commanded as he headed in to the interrogation room. Kensi pulled out her cell and dialled, all the time watching the monitor.

Callen still had Stevens pinned against the wall, his arm pressing down on his neck slowly cutting off his air supply when Sam came in.

"G." he said. Callen didn't acknowledge him so Sam walked closer. "G, enough!" Callen finally released Stevens, who staggered but retained his footing.

"How does Valdez know where she is?" Sam demanded.

"It's this little invention called GPS." Stevens sniggered and with his cuffed hands, pulled up the collar on his shirt to reveal a small button like device.

"You knew you'd get caught." Callen glared.

"When I couldn't find your precious analyst I knew there was a reason. Then all of a sudden she was right there and I knew it had to be a trap."

"And you walked right into it, deliberately." Callen shook his head at how they had been played. Stevens had led Valdez to the boatshed where he was able to follow Nell.

"It was the only way." Stevens smiled slyly.

"This is _not_ over." Callen pointed at the man and stalked out of the room, Sam on his heels.

Back in the main room of the boatshed, Kensi was redialling Nell's cell for the fourth time.

"It's going straight to voicemail." Kensi explained as the two senior agents returned, her voice thick with worry.

"Kensi, Deeks. Get someone over her to watch him then back us up at Nell's. Sam and I are going there now." Callen instructed as he tried to control the rapid beating of his heart. At the back of his mind he knew he never should have let her leave by herself. Deeks immediately called the office, turning away as he requested two agents be sent over asap. Kensi kept calling Nell desperately hoping she would answer so she could be warned or let them know she was alright.

Nell arrived at her apartment and though it had only been two days she felt like she had been away for an eternity. Dropping her bag on the floor by the door, she tossed her keys and cell onto the table, not noticing that her cell battery had died and the phone was switched off. She made her way to the kitchen and put the kettle on then began to potter around the kitchen, tidying up some of the mess she had intended on cleaning up before her life was temporarily turned upside down.

As she moved about the room, picking up an item here or there and setting it in its rightful place, she didn't hear the lock on her front door being picked. She didn't hear the soft footsteps creeping down the hall. Only when she turned to adjust the throw on the back of the couch did she see him. A tall and stocky South American looking man with rough beard and crazed eyes stood in her lounge wielding a six inch knife that she knew was destined to be plunged into her body. Nell froze, her mind racing and panic flooding her system as she recognised his face from Eric's photographs. Hector Valdez was alive and he was here to kill her.

**Okay, I realise I may have taken some liberties with the plot here – in how/where they caught Stevens and how Valdez managed to find Nell, but for the purpose of the story, I just didn't have another plausible way to make it happen so please go with the flow and gloss over what may seem unlikely. **


	7. Chapter 7

**The penultimate chapter to this story - Will Callen get to Nell before something happens? Read on to find out. Zoe :)**

Callen was driving how Sam could only describe as a maniac. He was darting through the traffic, swerving lanes and increasing his speed with every passing second. Sam braced his hand against the door but refrained from saying anything about his partner's style of driving, sensing that this was not the time for criticism of driving technique and a comment about why Sam should always be the one behind the wheel. And it was definitely not the time to bring up Callen's violent outburst in the boatshed. Callen was normally the one pulling Sam back but the moment the agent learned that Nell was in imminent danger, he had…snapped. Sam was curious and a little bit worried about that reaction and whether there were emotions and feelings for Nell that Callen was keeping to himself. But that would be a conversation for later, when Nell was safe.

xxx

Nell shifted her feet and positioned herself behind the couch, trying to keep a distance between her and the knife wielding drug dealer advancing on her.

"Why are you here?" she demanded, finding a surprising strength in her voice. "What is it you think I know?" Valdez just shook his head and moved closer, his knife glinting in the light. As he moved to the side, Nell moved the other way and frantically tried to think what to do. Callen wouldn't know Valdez was alive or that he was at her apartment and that meant she was on her own. She needed to call for help but her cell was all the way at the front door with Valdez blocking her path to it. She looked to where her landline sat in the kitchen but knew even if she could get to it, Valdez would get to her before she could dial a number. She alone in this and she was petrified.

xxx

Callen pulled off the highway and sped down the off-ramp towards Nell's neighbourhood. They were just minutes away but Callen was terrified it would minutes too late. He knew Nell had taken self-defence courses but that was unlikely to help her much when a man a foot taller and a lot heavier than her attacked, particularly when that attack involved a knife. His hands gripped the steering wheel so hard his knuckles were white and he could feel his partner's eyes on him. He knew Sam wanted to ask about the boatshed and maybe when this was all over he'd talk to his partner, but at that moment all Callen was concerned about was getting to Nell before Valdez hurt her.

xxx

Nell and Valdez were in a stand-off. She was behind the couch, he on the other side of it. She knew it was only a matter of time before he made his move and she didn't have a plan. She always had a plan and it frightened her that she didn't know what to do. Her breath was coming in short sharp gasps and she flinched each time Valdez moved. He was torturing her, drawing out his attack to scare her as much as possible before actually inflicting bodily harm. Nell looked around her for something to use as a weapon but her options were limited. As Valdez took another step closer, Nell made what she knew would be a life or more likely death decision. She grabbed the lamp off the table and threw it forcefully at his head. Valdez ducked and the lamp came crashing to the ground, breaking into thousands of pieces as it hit the wooden floor. Valdez laughed sinisterly before leaping towards Nell. She tried to run but only got a few feet away before he grabbed her from behind and slammed her into the kitchen counter. She cried out as her ribcage connected with the counter and her head bounced off the faux granite surface. Valdez yanked her back upright and held her in a firm grip. She could see the knife out of the corner of her eye and knew it was coming towards her.

It was at that moment that Nell's brain finally kicked into gear and she remembered a technique she had been taught. SING - Solar Plexus, Instep, Nose, Groin. Without hesitation, Nell slammed her elbow backwards hitting Valdez in the stomach, stamped her foot down on his foot, twisted and thrust the heel of her palm into his nose and as he momentarily released her she kneed him in the groin as hard as she could before making a run for it. Her attack had been textbook and though Nell had successfully broken the man's nose and slowed him down a little, her petite size had not inflicted the damage needed to give her a clear escape. She ran for the door making it half way there but Valdez had already recovered and growling with anger he caught up to her, grabbed her arm and yanked her back. As Nell struggled against him she felt a searing pain in her forearm, realising quickly that he had cut her with the knife. Crying out, Nell tried to tear herself away but he grabbed her other arm and threw her down to the floor. Dazed, she shook her head and tried to scuttle backwards as he descended towards her, the knife poised above his head.

xxx

Callen slammed the breaks on outside Nell's apartment and leapt out of the car. Sam was right by his side and with their guns drawn the two agents ran towards Nell's building. Taking the stairs two at a time they approached Nell's apartment and immediately saw the door was wide open. With just a momentary pause and a knowing glance, the pair entered the apartment, guns pointed straight ahead of them.

xxx

Later, Nell would come to see this moment as the absolute definition of perfect timing. Pinned to the floor by the much larger man, her head spinning from being slammed into the kitchen counter, and her arm aching from the knife wound, Nell was powerless to do anything as Valdez raised the knife above his head, reading to plunge it into her heart. As she watched the knife glinting in the light, a barely audible cry escaped her lips just before she heard three distinctive bangs. With a gasp and look of horror on his face, the knife fell from Valdez's hand and he slumped forward on top of Nell. Terrified, Nell rolled him off her and she scurried backwards a few feet, gasping for breath. Her eyes lifted and she saw Callen standing powerfully in the living space, his gun pointed at Valdez until his partner confirmed there was no further danger. Their eyes locked for just a moment before Nell looked back at the body lying on her floor.

"Sam?" Callen called to his partner.

"Dead." Sam confirmed as he knelt by the body.

Callen tucked his gun away and quickly took the few steps that separated him from Nell. She was sitting on the floor in blood stained clothing visibly shaking, her face as white as a ghost. Her glazed over eyes were locked on the body just a few feet away and Callen could she was in shock. He knelt down, placing his body between her and Valdez, and began to look her over. He could see a bruise forming on her forehead, just above her left eye but more worryingly, a three inch cut on her left forearm which was bleeding profusely. He reached out and ran his hand down her cheek, finally drawing her attention to him.

Nell dragged her eyes up to meet Callen's worried gaze. In shock from what had just transpired she found herself unable to form words. Instead, she let out several soft cries then collapsed against Callen, her hands clinging to his shoulders as she tried to regain control over her mind and body. She felt two strong arms encasing her and heard his soothing voice but she couldn't comprehend his words. Her mind was too much of a jumble of thoughts and feelings; Valdez was dead, she was alive, she felt terrified, confused and relieved, her body ached, her arm ached more. Nothing seemed real yet it was more real than anything she had experienced in her life.

Sam was immediately on the phone calling it in, when Kensi and Deeks arrived. Stepping into the aftermath, they quickly holstered their weapons and surveyed the scene. Hector Valdez lay in pool of his own blood while Callen sat on the floor with Nell clinging to him just a few feet way. A large bloody knife lay abandoned on the floor between them. They had not seen what had gone down but it didn't look good.

An eerie silence filled the room as Sam came off the phone and turned, nodding to the new arrivals. No-one quite knew what to say, if they should say anything at all. But Nell broke the ice for them.

"I'm sorry. I've got blood on you." She mumbled into Callen's shirt before pulling away from him and looking down at her bleeding arm.

"It's alright Nell." Callen assured her. "Can you stand?" he asked, knowing he needed to get her out of the apartment and away from Valdez. Nell nodded and as Callen rose to his feet, he gripped her elbows and pulled her up with him.

"Ambulance is on the way G." Sam told Callen as he wrapped an arm around Nell's waist and started to walk her across the room. As they moved past Kensi and Deeks, Nell stopped.

"Wait." She said suddenly. Callen paused, tightening his grip on her, worrying something was wrong. "How did you know?" she turned and looked up at him.

"Eric." Callen told her.

"Remind me to thank him." She said quietly before she started walking again. Callen threw Sam a concerned look. He was worried at how quickly Nell seemed to have recovered. Just a couple of minutes after almost being killed she had pulled herself together and hadn't even shed a tear. How much of it was the shock he didn't know but surely no-one was this strong.

**So phew, Agent Callen to the rescue. One more chapter to go and this story will be complete. I'd love it if you left a review :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**So this was supposed to be the final chapter but after writing it I realised I would need another one to really conclude the story. So **_**this**_** is the penultimate chapter and one more is to come. Zoe **

It was close to midnight when Sam pulled his car up to the safe house. Callen was in the front seat and Nell was sitting in back, her left arm clutched protectively against her chest. She hadn't uttered a word since Sam had picked her and Callen up from the hospital, instead staring out the window with a distant look on her face.

In a scene reminiscent of the night before, Callen and Sam escorted Nell into the safe house and she immediately disappeared into the bedroom. Callen sighed heavily, his concern for Nell growing with each passing minute.

"She's on the edge Sam, I can feel it." Callen sighed.

"But we'll be there for her." Sam replied. "She's going to need her friends." He added with raised eyebrows, putting a little more emphasis on the word 'friends' for Callen's liking, giving him an indication that Sam was picking up on the feelings he had been trying to keep hidden.

xxx

Nell walked into the small bedroom and took a look around. Her bag was still there, right where she had left it that morning on the armchair in the corner of the room. She crossed to it and began to rummage around for something to wear. She desperately needed to get out of the clothes she had on, which were covered in both hers and Hector Valdez's blood. Locating her pyjamas she carefully stripped off her soiled cardigan and dress, then slipped into the comfortable flannel. Entering the bathroom she took a look at her face in the mirror and was somewhat horrified. Her left eye and forehead were turning an awful shade of purple, her eyes still look glassy and her skin was white as a sheet. She splashed some water on her face and patted herself dry, before taking a look at her arm. The doctor at the hospital had put eighteen stitches in and though he had assured her it would heal and leave little trace, she was sure she would be walking around for the rest of her life with a permanent reminder of the worst night of her life. She adjusted the bandage covering the wound and after brushing her teeth, she made her way back through the bedroom and to the lounge.

xxx

Callen and Sam were in the lounge when Nell left the bedroom. As she made her way down the hall she could hear them talking and as she got closer and heard what they were discussing, she paused, not wanting them to stop when they realised she was there like last time.

"You want me to stick around?" Sam asked.

"Thanks Sam, but Hetty's arranged for a couple of agents to sit outside, just in case."

"At least we know why Stevens and Valdez came after Nell." Sam nodded.

"Yeah, Hetty called while we were at the hospital. What was that analyst's name, Arthur Anderson? He found a couple of names in the intelligence and linked them to a courier service the gang were using to ship the drugs." Callen replied.

"By going after Rodriguez, Baker and Nell, they thought they were protecting their 'business' and now Valdez is dead, Stevens is going to spend the rest of his life in jail and by morning, the rest of the gang and the couriers will be in custody." Sam shook his head. "It's just a pity Rodriguez and Baker didn't know what they had found."

"Or me Sam." A small voice called from the edge of the room.

"Nell." Sam spun around in surprise.

"I helped to analyse that intelligence the first time and I looked through it all again and I didn't find it, I didn't find the link."

"None of this is your fault." Callen told Nell as she made her way into the room.

"It doesn't feel like that right now." She sighed. "Maybe if I'd found it back then, something could have been done and Michael and Francine wouldn't be dead." She paused.

"Nell, don't." Callen shook his head and crossed over to her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "The only people to blame are Stevens and Valdez."

"I know. You're right." Nell nodded. "I'm just tired." She smiled.

"And that's my cue to leave." Sam clapped his hands together. "Nell, I'm really glad you're okay." He said as he took her into quick a hug. "G, call me if you need anything." He gave Callen a guy hug then headed for the door. He really wanted to go home and just be with his wife and kids after what had happened that night.

xxx

With Sam gone, Callen and Nell were left alone in the lounge, both standing a little awkwardly, unsure of what to say or do.

"Nell, I'm sorry." Callen said suddenly.

"Why are you sorry?" Nell asked.

"Because I made you a promise and I broke it. You got hurt." Callen looked into her eyes and could see her thinking.

"If I remember correctly, you promised that Stevens wouldn't hurt me." A smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "And okay, so I got a little hurt." She lifted a hand to her forehead, touching it gingerly. "But it wasn't Stevens who did that. You didn't break a promise. You saved my life." She crossed over to him and placed her hand lightly on his chest. "And I will always be grateful for that." She added, stretching up to place a soft kiss on his cheek. Callen wanted to pull her into his arms and hold her but before he could make a move, Nell stepped away and exhaled heavily.

"Do you…maybe want to call your mom…or something?" Callen asked. Knowing how close Nell was to her family he thought she might want to hear their voices, maybe it would make her feel better.

"That's probably not a good idea." Nell replied, turning back to him. "I mean what am I going to say? 'Great week at the office Mom. Two former colleagues were murdered and I was nearly stabbed to death by a Venezuelan drug dealer…" she suddenly choked in a gulp of air. "Oh god." She cried softly, covering her mouth with her hands as the full weight of the last few days came crashing down on her.

And then, right before Callen's eyes Nell finally broke. Her shoulders began to shake, quickly followed by the rest of her body as heaving sobs escaped her lips and tears flooded down her cheeks. Callen swept forward just before her legs gave out, enveloping her in his arms and holding her close and tight. Nell gripped his shirt in her fists and buried her head in his chest as she wept. Whispering reassuring words, Callen slowly moved them over to the couch and drew Nell down with him. Then, pulling Nell's legs across his, he cradled her in his arms as she continued to cry, letting out all the emotion and fear she had been holding inside.

Even if she wanted to, Nell couldn't have stopped herself from crying. It was like she had no control over her body or her mind. She was vaguely aware of Callen talking to her and could feel his arms around her but otherwise, she was lost in a sea of fear, anger and hurt, not knowing if she would come out the other side.

"Shhh, it's okay, it's okay." Callen soothed. "I'm here, I'm not going anywhere." He kissed the top of her head and stroked her arms gently as he held her against him. "You're okay, you're okay." His heart was breaking at the sight of Nell curled up in his arm sobbing her heart out and shaking uncontrollably. He wanted to take her pain away but all he could do was hold her.

xxx

Callen didn't know how long it had been but Nell had finally stopped crying and her body had grown still. As he looked down at her, he realised she had actually cried herself into an exhausted sleep, her head resting on his chest. Slipping his arm under her legs, he slowly got his feet and holding Nell securely, he carried the sleeping analyst to the bedroom where he laid her down on the bed. Covering her with the blanket, he stroked her cheek softly and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, carefully avoiding the large and angry looking bruise now prominent. Then he walked around the bed to the small armchair in the corner and after placing her bag on the floor, settled himself in for the night.

There was no telling how Nell would handle what she had been through in the days and weeks to come but Callen knew he would be there for her, no matter what. Without her even knowing it, she had broken through his defences and got into his head and into his heart, and he would do whatever he needed to, to make sure she was safe and happy.

**Thanks for reading, I hope you leave a review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**So this is absolutely the final chapter of this story – a little epilogue of sorts, to close off a few loose ends with Callen and Nell. **

It was Nell's first day back at work after her ordeal. She had passed the required psychological evaluation and though she had been certified to return, the psychologist had wanted her to undergo further sessions to ensure she was coping. Nell had politely declined, knowing she would take greater comfort in being around those she cared about and who cared about her, particularly Special Agent G Callen. Though the whole team had been there for her, it was Callen who really got her through it. He had saved her life, he had been there for her when she fell apart and he hadn't left her side since.

She had stayed two days at the safe house, with Callen for constant companionship, slowly getting over what happened. But two nights ago she had insisted on coming back to her apartment. Callen had been concerned at that, questioning whether she should go back to a place where something so awful happened. But Nell had told him that being forced to leave her home would only mean that Stevens had won and she was not going to let that happen. He seemed to understand but there was no mistaking the worry she had seen in his eyes. It had been present since the moment her life was threatened and even though she was now safe, the worry was still there. Perhaps that was why he had insisted on sleeping on her couch her first night back in her apartment and why when she had looked out her window last night she had been entirely unsurprised to spot him sitting outside her building in his car.

As she stood in the middle of the lounge, Nell acknowledged the great job done by the cleaners that Hetty had arranged. Though she would never forget what happened in her quaint little apartment, there wasn't a trace of the bloodshed and a subtle rearrangement of the furniture had changed the dynamic of the room. Now when she looked at it, she didn't see Valdez, she saw her home.

"You ready to go?"

Nell turned around and nodded to Callen, who was waiting by the door. He had insisted on picking her up and taking her to work and she had a feeling about why that was. Since her whole ordeal began, she had picked up on certain behaviours Callen had displayed towards her. She hadn't had time to think about it while they were looking for Stevens, instead filing them away for later analysis. Then in the aftermath of Valdez's attack she needed time to get her head around everything that had transpired. But now, now she could allow herself to think about the way he spoke to her, the words he used, the gentle touches he bestowed upon her and the way he never seemed to take his eyes off her. He hadn't said as much but Nell felt that Callen cared for her as more than a friend and colleague and whilst she didn't understand her own feelings, she knew she was interested. Not only did she find him attractive physically, she found his mind astounding. His penchant for languages and love of literature had sparked many a discussion over the past couple of days. But more than that, she felt safe with him and right now she wanted nothing more than to just feel safe.

"I'm ready." She nodded and started across the room. As she moved past Callen she felt him place his hand on her lower back and steer her forward into the hall. A smile crept onto her face and though she had no idea what was going to happen, she was open to anything, especially if it meant keeping G Callen close.

**Thank you so much for all the support and reviews for this story. It's been a challenge writing something more case based and I've enjoyed it but I'm going back to my comfort zone with my next story – a fluffy sequel to this to delve into the Callen and Nell relationship I've hinted at throughout this. It will be called "Into the Woods" and the first instalment should be posted in the next few days. **


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